My weekend Blog speaks about the importance our children remembering their Dads as they were before Alzheimer's Disease. I told a little "fish" story that not only our son Joel, remembers, but every friend and relative who was there. They talked about it for YEARS! Sadly, Sid does not remember it, but did laugh when I told him about it.
I invite you to read the Blog and post some good memories of your children and their father before AD.
In my case it's my wife who has AD, but I'll post an interesting memory that she has, but now gets wrong so I have to help her when she tries to tell it to someone. She always gets the punch line correct, but misses on the setting.
When our daughters were young, my DW was a girl scout leader. On one occasion she had taken them for an overnight outing. The next morning one of the girls came to her and said: "Mrs. S, I've eaten so many raw pancakes...................I THINK I LIKE THEM THAT WAY!!!!"
Some of my favorite photos are the ones where Jeff has just come home in his red pick-up truck, and the children--roughly 1 to 7 years at the time--are clamoring all over him as he gets out. Also one where he's pushing all 4 of them in a wheelbarrow. He used to be a great partner at bathtime, and--when I was in school part time--he could organize them all into a trip to the science center or aquarium. Hard to imagine now, but I have the photographic evidence. The kids (now 16, 18, 20, 22) kind of take care of him now.
I remember when wife M was so proud that she could still wear her 1966 wedding dress. She made that dress herself and had it in a special place in her closet. Nowdays, she has forgotten that dress along with everything else.
We are camping with my DH's son and wife this weekend. I know there have been some regrets I have heard from my husband about his children, and it has been wonderful to be here with a son who remembers so many good times and wonderful lessons he appreciates from growing up with his Dad. Something sad was a little gift of a cap that my DH put on his head, didn't like the fit and tossed it back in the bag. He didn't seem to understand it was a present and really doesn't want anything new these days. Nice that family seemed to understand. Next time I suggested a gift of something to eat would be better...
My hope for today is that my DH remembers his sons. I solved the gift problem by calling them and telling them a couple of things he could use (shaving razors and cream) but then telling them that the thing he would really enjoy getting were some minature candy bars. His sweet tooth is always in gear. Why not make him happy today even though the day is just another day for him.......
Joang's Father's Day blog reminded me of how wife M once liked to wear custom jewelry that I made for her long ago. Alzheimer's ended that custom when she started losing things several years ago.
Our 42nd wedding anniversary is in a few days, so I thought "Aha! I will make us a matched pair of wedding bands from inexpensive gold filled wire in my shop today." That took about 15 minutes each. I told her that the four turns of wire and two smoothed ends represented our 42 years together. She didn't understand that, but it made me feel better. That was a good Father's Day gift.